Citation:

Cromar, K., Vasu Kilaru, B. Duncan, A. Bartonova, K. Benedict, M. Brauer, R. Habre, G. Hagler, J. Haynes, S. Khan, V. Kilaru, Y. Liu, S. Pawson, D. Peden, J. Quint, M. Rice, E. Sasser, E. Seto, S. Stone, G. Thurston, AND J. Volckens. Air Pollution Monitoring for Health Research and Patient Care. An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. American Thoracic Society, New York, NY, 16(10):1207-1214, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201906-477ST

Impact/Purpose:

This paper outlines the outcome of a workshop held in 2017 discussing the utility of various air pollution data sources and the need to facilitate integration of these various data sources in a more seamless manner in order to further their use in health research and patient care.

Description:

Air quality data from satellites and low-cost sensors, along with output from air quality models, have the potential to augment high quality, regulatory-grade data in countries with in situ monitoring networks and provide much needed air quality information in countries without them. Each of these technologies has strengths and limitations that need to be considered when integrating them to develop a robust and diverse global air quality monitoring network. To address these issues the American Thoracic Society, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences convened a workshop in May 2017 to bring together global experts from across multiple disciplines and agencies to discuss current and near-term capabilities to monitor global air pollution. The participants focused on four topics: current and near-term capabilities in air pollution monitoring; data assimilation from multiple technology platforms; critical issues for air pollution monitoring in regions without a regulatory-quality stationary monitoring network; and risk communication and health messaging. Recommendations for research and improved utilization were identified during the workshop including a recognition that the integration of data across monitoring technology groups is critical in order to maximize the effectiveness (i.e., data accuracy, as well as spatial and temporal coverage) of these monitoring technologies. Taken together these recommendations will advance the development of a global air quality monitoring network that takes advantage of emerging technologies to ensure the availability of free, accessible and reliable air pollution data and forecasts to health professionals, as well, as to all global citizens.

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